Intergenerational Transmission of Digitized Intangible Cultural Heritage: A Study from the Perspective of Innovation Diffusion Theory
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: The challenges presented by the trends of globalisation and digitalisation are faced by the intergenerational transfer of the intangible cultural heritage (ICH) on both fronts: the aging of knowledge bearers and low engagement of youth. Nevertheless, with the advent of such technologies as generative AI and the Metaverse, there will now be additional opportunities in the living transmission of ICH. The challenges like the lack of technical compatibility and the loss of cultural authenticity are bottlenecks of digitisation of ICH today. The theory of innovation diffusion is employed in this paper and concentrates on two aspects: such as technology bridging generational cognition and digital empowerment and cultural authenticity. However, based on a literature review and a case study, it examines in a systematic way how digital technology redefines the subject of transmission, cultural space, and value logic of ICH. The authors concluded that the use of short videos and the generative AI can increase the level of participation among the young population due to the opportunities of scenario-based narratives, yet excessive entertainment can very easily engage in the so-called symbolic dislocation crisis of intangible cultural heritage practices and cultural identity crisis. According to the situation above, a collaborative route of 3+2+1 allows constructing a viable paradigm so to achieve a balance between the promotion of innovation and cultural safeguarding, which has theoretical and practical implications to intergenerational transmission of intangible cultural heritage in a more sustainable way.
Author: Qing Jin
Institution: Beijing Institute of Graphic Communication
Language: English
Subfield: Archeology
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W4412495331